Vacuum tank



Aug. 16, 1932. .J A, DIENNE 1,872,419

VACUUM TANK l I Original Filed May l2, 1924 gli Patented Aug. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES Param ori-ICE JOHN A. DIENNER, OF EVANSTON, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO VBEN'DIX STROMBERG CAB- IBURETER COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A` CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS VACUUM TANK Urgnal application led May 12, 1924, Serial No. 712,512. Divided and this application led. December 8, 1928. Serial No. 323,302.

My invention relates to avfuel supply system for internal combustion engines Yand more particularly to an improvedvacuum tank for supplying gasoline from an automobile tank at the rear of the vehicle to the carburetor at a higher level. In my former Patent No. 1,581,398, which relates to an improved vacuum feed tank, the valve for letting air into and liquid out of the suction chamber, has but one passageway and opens by a downward movement. Since the power movement of the suction motor which operates the valve is upward, in order to open the valve it is necessary to translate the upward movement into downward movement by means of a lever. The construction of this device has shown that it is difiicult to insert and connect the lever in the suction chamber. Moreover it is apparent that the flow of the liquid out ofthe suction chamber is hindered by the air flowing in through the same passageway, so that it takes considerable time to empty the suction chamber.

My improved valve is opened by an upward movement and is connected directly with the suction motor, thus doing away with the lever. rIhis simplifies the operation of the vacuum tank and makes the construction much easier. My new valvehas a passage way for air and a passageway Jfor liquid, the bend in the latter passageway being farther down than the bend in the Jformer passageway. The air passageway is opened iirst so that air starts flowing into the suction chamber, and then the liquid passageway is opened allowingl the liquid to iiow out of the suction chamber, while the air continues to flow into it. The result is the suction chamber is emptied in much less time than was required with the other valve. By reason of this the size of the vacuum tank can be reduced and yet feed as much liquid as does the larger tank with the old valve and further with this new valve the vacuum tank is suitable for use in a system requiring a considerable iiow of liquid without making the tank of an obj ectionable size.

This application is a divisional of my copending application Serial No. 712,512, filed May 12, 1924.

In order to acquaint those skilled in the art with the manner of constructing and operating my invention, I shall now describe a specific embodiment of the same in connection with the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a central vertical-section ofthe vacuum tank;`

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the ring against which rthe' dumping and lair inlet valve is held; and

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3 3 showing the upper part of the liquid dumping and air inlet valve connection.

The vacuum tank 3 is of novel construction. This tank comprises an upper chamber 19 and a lower chamber 20, these parts being made to nest within each other, as shown, and the outer tank 2O having openings to atmosphere, as indicated at 21, near the upper end thereof. The common cover member 22v contains a motor diaphragm chamber 23 closed by a flexible diaphragm 24 which isr connected by its downturned flanges with suitable flanges 26 forming a part of said cover or top 22. This 'top 22 has a pipe socket 2T for connecting the pipe 6 which leads to a. gasoline tank and a similar socket 28 for connecting the suction pipe 29 which leads to a rotary suction pump or a similar suction producing means. The diaphragm 24 has, at its central part, a connecting member for the operating rod 29 vformed of a. plate 30 at the upper side of the center of the diaphragm and a plate 31 at the lower side of the center of the diaphragm. lThese two plates are threaded upon the upper threaded end of the rod 29 and arev heldin register by a small tube 33 which is drive `fitted through openings in register in each of said plates 30 and 31 and the interposed diaphragm 24, holding the parts permanently in position. This depending pipe 33 forms a valve port which is adapted to be obstructed and held closed by the valve disc 34 formed upon the sleeve 35, which sleeve is loosely mounted on the stem 29 and plays between said tube 33 and a pin or stop 36 secured upon the lower end of said stem 29.

The lower end of the sleeve 35 has a Collar 37 adapted to cooperate with the sliding Y float 38 which slides loosely upon said sleeve 35 and cooperates with either the collar 37 or the valve disc 34. Y

The upper chamber 19 is formed ot a cylindrical barrel 40 secured on the inside of the flange 41 to the top or cover 22 and secured at the` lower end to the bottom plate 43, which forms the bottom of chamber 19. The bottom plate 43 has a threaded boss orreceiving the valve connection 44 shown in Fig. 3, this valve connection having a suitable threaded neck entering the boss in the bot# tom plate 43 and clamping the guard plate or ring 45, which serves at the same time as a gasket between said parts 44 and 43, rllhis guard pla-te or ring 45 has suitable openings 46 therein to keep the valve ring 47 from sticking against said plate 45 when said valve ring 47 is raised from its annular double valve seat 48. The valve connection 44 has an annular double seat 48, and between these two seats are formed ports or passageways 49 and 50 which are separated by a central wall for providing the passageways 49 and 50, communicating with said ports. It will be noted that the bend of air passageway 50 does not extend down as far as the bend in passageway 49. This insures that air will pass up the passageway 50 and liquid down thepassageway 49. The common ring valve 47 seats on both of the seating rings 48 and closes both valve ports, although these ports may be in communication under said valve ring 47.

The lower end of the rod 29 extends down through the passageway 50 and has one or more fingers 51 passing-up through said port 50 to lift irstV the one side of the ring 47 and thereafter the entire ring up against the guard plate 45, which has a downturned flange for assisting in holding said valve ring 47 open while air enters through the port 50 and liquid discharges from the portv The top plate 30 on the diaphragm 24 has a valve stud or projection 30 which cooperates with La restriction on valve seat 28', formed at the lower end of the threaded socket 28, so that when the diaphragm 24 is drawn upwardly, as will be described presently, the valve member 30 substantially closes the port 28.

' The operation of the vacuum tank 3 is as follows:

Assuming that the tank 3 is empty and that a rotary suction pump is in operation to impose a suitable suction upon the suction chamber 19, liquid will be drawn from the gasoline tank through said pipe 6. Liquid then vfills the vacuum chamber 19, raising the float 38 until the upper part of the iloat Comes into engagement with the lower part of the valve disc or plate 34, raising it into contact with the openin in said depending pipe or nipple 33 wiich forms a valve port, and this raising of the disc 34 t0 shut off said pipe 33 causes suction of greater value to exist on the upper side of said diaphragm 24 than exists upon the lower side of the diaphragm, with the result that the diaphragm is moved upwardly.

The float tends to assist this movement to whatever extent its buoyancy has been etfected by the rise of liquid. The upward movement of the diaphragm 24 raises the stem 29 and, at the same time, also draws with it the valve disc 34 and its connected stem 35, and the rising of the stem 29 causes the lingers 51 to litt one side ot the ring valve 47 up against the guard plate 45, whereupon air quickly enters through said port 50 and into the chamber 19, and thereupon the ngers 51 exert greater pressure upon said ring 47, tending to raise it around its entire periphery against said guard ring or plate 45, holding both ports 49 and 50 wid-e open so that air may enter the port 50 and liquid be discharged out of the port 49. The sleeve 35 and connected parts are so light as to be held by suction against said depending nipple 33 until the level drops sutliciently to cause the float 38 to drop upon the collar 37 and pull the valve disc 34 away from the nipple 33, permitting substantially full atmospheric pressure to come into said diaphragm chamber 23. This immediately releases the diaphragm 24 and it drops down, closing the valve 47 and ports 49 and 50 and permitting the entry of suction into the suction chamber 19. The valve plug 30 tends to obstruct the port 28 when the diaphragm is raised. Vhen the valve port 33 is opened, the pressure in the diaphragm chamber 23 more quickly rises toward atmospheric pressure because oi said blocking action of the plug 30.

The dumping of liquid through the port 49 is accomplished readily andA rapidly because of the separate passageway for air up through the passageway 50 along the lower en d of the stem 29. Said entering air always tends to keep the float 38 raised, since it comes directly under said iloat, with the result that there is a more nearly complete draining of said chamber 19 than would otherwise be the case.

The lower chamber 20 is open to atmosphere through the openings 21, as heretofore explained, and drains through an open connection 53 by gravity to the carburetor.

I do not intend to be limited to the details shown or described.

I claim:

1. In a vacuum tank having a suction connectio-n, a liquid admission connection, an air inlet connection and aliquid outlet connection, a common valve device controlling the latter .two connections, said valve device having an air and a liquid passageway each having a bend, the bend in the liquid passageway be ingV farther down than the bend in the air passageway so that air will ow in through said ports and means for moving said closingv means to open said ports when the liquid has risen to a desired height in the tank.

2. In a vacuum tank having a suction connection, a liquid admission connection, an air inlet. connection and a liquid outlet connection, a common ring valve device controlling the latter two connections, said valve device consisting of a'membery with an air and a liquid passageway leading to a circular port opening upward, a ring resting upon said port for closing the port, means for raising theportionof the ring above the air passageway when liquid has substantially filled the tank, thus allowing air to enter the tank, a projection above the portion ofthe ring covering the air passageway which acts as a pivot in raising the remaining portion of the ring, so that the air continues to flow into and liquid flows out of the tank, the Vvalve being closed by the force of gravity assisted by the suction due to the partial vacuumin the tank.

3. In a vacuum tank having a-diaphragm chamber with a suction lconnecti on and a diaphragm movable in the diaphragm chamber and a suction chamber having a communication with the diaphragm chamber and means controlling said communication, said suction chamber having a liquid admission connection, an air inlet connection and a liquid outlet connection, a common valve device controlling said latter two connections` said valve device consisting of a member with an air passageway and a liquid passageway with ports opening upward, means for closing said ports. and means connected directly with the diaphragm for raising the closing means when the liquid has substantially filled the suction chamber.

4. In a vacuum tank, a chamber having a valve device connected to the bottom thereof, said device comprising a body having a circular valve seat facing upwardly and a pair of passageways leading from the chamber to the valve seat, a ring valve for said seat and an operating member adapted to engage one side of the ring to lift said side of the ring 1 to admit air through one of the passageways..

5. In a vacuum tank, a chamber having a valve device connected to the bottom thereof, said device comprising a body having a circular valve seat facing upwardly and a pair of passageways leading from the chamber to the valve seat, a ring valve for said seat and an operating member adapted to engage one side of the ring to lift said side of the ring to admit air through one of the passa geways,

and a ring above the ring valve, said ring being: adapted to be engagedby the margin` of the ringvalve tocause the operating member to lift the ring valve away from the seat.

GLIn a vacuum tank, a chamber having a threaded' opening in its bottom wall, a fitting havinga stem threaded into said opening, a flanged stop ring clamped between the stem of the fitting and the bottom wall, said fitting having a head with a double annular valve seat facing said stop ring and having a pair ofk U-shaped passageways leading'y through thestem and terminating at the valve seat, aring valve for said valve seat, an operating member extending through one of said U- shaped: passageways into engagement with the ring valve and adapted to raise the same into engagement with the stop ring.

7. In a vacuum tank, a chamber having a threaded opening in its bottom wall, a fitting having a stem threaded into said opening, a flanged stop ringclamped between the stem of the fitting and the bottom wall, said fitting having a head with a double annular valve seat facing said stop ri'ng'and having a pair of U-shaped passageways leading through the stem and terminating at the valve seat, a ring valve for said valve seat, an operating member Vextending through one of said U- shaped passageways into engagementv with the ring valve and adapted to raise the same ed to suction and to atmospheric pressure, a

dump valve adapted to seat downwardlygby gravity and to be held'to its seat by suction in the chamber, a motor member adapted to be moved upwardly by suctionv under the control of level in the chamber, and an operating stem connected to the motor member for raising saidvalve from its seat when said motor` member is moved upwardly by suction.

9. Incombination, upper and lower chambers, means subjecting said upper chamber to intermittent changes of pressure, means establishing communication between the lower part of said upper chamber and said lower chamber, said means comprising a' substantiallyy U-shaped passageway one portion. of which opens into the upper chamber and the other portion of which opensupwardly into the lower chamber, a valve closure adapted to Yseat over said upwardly opening passageway portion,r and means forl controlling the position of said valve closure comprising pressure responsive means in the upper chamber and means connected therewith and eX- tending through said U-shaped passageway for contacting with said valve closure.

- ioo l0. In a fuel feeding apparatus, in com? bination, upper and lower chambers, means intermittently placing the upper chamber in communication with a sourceY of lowered pressure and with atmospheric pressure, a pressure responsive flexible diaphragm-mounted in the upper chamber, a valve operating stem depending therefrom, means affording communication between the upper and lower chambers and including an upwardly opening valve port, a valve closure moving in a downward direction to seat over said port whereby gravity acting on said valve closure itself tendsto seat the same, said valve closure being held seated by pressure, and means carried by said stem for opening said valve closure against pressure. y

11. In a fuel feeding apparatus, in combination, an upper chamber, means intermittently placing the upper chamber in com munication with a source of lowered pressure and with atmospheric pressure, a lower chamber having communication with atmospheric pressure, a pressure responsive flexible diaphragm mounted in the upper chamber, a valve operating stem depending therefrom, means affording communication between the upper and lower chambers and including a valve port opening upwardly into said lower chamber, a. valve element for said port moving in a downward direction to closed position whereby gravity acting on said valve element itself tends to seat the same over said port, said valve element being held seated f1 over said port by the relatively higher pressure in said lower chamber acting on the upper side of said valve element, and means carried by said stem for opening said valve closure against said pressure in the lower chamber.

12. In afuel feeding system, in combination, an upper chamber, means for subjecting the upper chamber intermittently to. a lowered pressure and to atmospheric pressure, a lower chamber subject to pressure in excess of the lowered pressure to which said upper chamber is subject, means affording communication between said chambers and including a valve port, a valve closure for said port moving downwardly to closed position whereby gravity acting on said valve closure itself tends to seat the same over said port, and being held closed by the pressure in the lower chamber in excess of the lowered pressure in the upper chamber, and means in the upper chamber for controlling said valve closure and including a pressure responsive device for opening the valve closure against the pressure in the lower chamber.

13. In a fuel feeding apparatus, a closed pumping chamber, a reservoir chamber below said pumping chamber, a dump valve affording communication between the pumping and reservoir chambers, a fiuid pressure operated means in the pumping chamber, means adapted to directly connect said vdump valve and said fluid pressure operated means, and a liquid level controlled vdevice for rendering said pressure operated means active for opening said dump valve, said dump valve moving ina downward directiony to closed position whereby gravity acting on said valve itself tends to seat the same, and being ,held

' closed by differences in pressure in the pumpvalve closure acting under gravity to closek said plurality of openings, pressure resp0n-` sive means in said upper chamber, means connecting the pressure responsive means with said valve closure, and liquid level controlled means for rendering said pressure responsive means active to open said valve closure whereby communication is established between said chambers throughA a plurality of openings.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe day of November, 1928.

my'name this 28th JOHN A. DIENNER. 

